Montgomery County sentinel., 1887-03-11
The Great Question of Reform.

The Great Question of Reform.
Editor Of the Sentinel:
With those who appreciate our political
system, believing 1t to be superior 10 an y
contemporary or pre-existing system Of gov
ernment, taken as whole, and knowing,
at the same time, that the only means we
have of maintaining its integrity and secur-
ing its efficiency in affording US ample pro-
lection OF our personal liberty, personal
safety and private property, is judicious
and vigilant use of the ballot, any tamper-
ing with or pollution of the poll books or
ballot-box is matter of very serious cen
cern.
With true Democrats who, as think for
good and sufficient reasons, are determined
to stand their ground and fight 1t out within
receive q special application 10 our primary
elections, which, as the name implies, are
not only first In point of time but also in
Importance. In the minds of such the mere
suspicion that anywhere in the State un-
scrupuleus and vicious men are habitually
entrusted with the holding aud supervising
of elections is sufficient to create serious ap-
prehension, and II not removed will result
in settled dissatisfaction and disaffectien.
So far as / know, no satisfactory denial
has been given 10 the grave charges recently
made against officials conducting this busi-
ness in the city Of Baltimore. II they can
be satisfactorily answered it Is certainly a
duty, which decent respect for public
opinion renders incumbent upon those func-
tionaries, TO answer and refute these charges.
AS q sort of offset to the charge that men of
the most degraded character have been ap.
pointed and have served in that city as
Judges of Elections, and have actually been
detected in stufflng the ballot.box and ma
nipulating returns, it has been intimated
that the proposition TO cast out these devils
has been made by Beelzebub the Prince Of
Devils.
This seems To be founded on the fact th at
among those who have made the most direct
and specific charges, apparently upon q
thorough investigation, is one who happens
10 be counsel for the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company, and others who, in
some way or other, are supposed to have
some direct or peculiar interest in that great
corporation. That would seem TO carry
with it the charge that these gentlemen are
privy t0 some scheme BY which they pro.
pose to take advantage Of the public by leg.
islative or constitutional provision. But
thoughtful reader that as it is almost GER
tain that in the near future our Legislatures
aud State Conventions will be controlled BY
the Democratic party, and as that party is
notdependent for support upon that element
of weakness, superstition and ignorance,
which has in these latter Pest Bellum) days
attained to sovereignty, it is hardly possible
that Democrats anywhere ia the State will
be nominated and elected either to the Leg.
isature or to Constitutional Convention
who would willingly crafty any corpora.
tion or individual in such selfish desires,
unless they thould succeed by just such dIa.
bolical outrages upon the ballot as the Re-
formers portray and condemn in unmeas-
ured terms. In this view of the subject
then accepting the said intimation as well
founded) we Should find the House of Beel-
zebub, Aforesaid, divided against itself, and
according to divine Interpretation it could
not stand, and according To the old adage
thieves having fallen out honest men will
know their own.
But in any view Of the subject it seems
perfectly clear that the counties shsuld take
the precaution To spare no pains 10 grant
the very reasonable request of the Reform
League which is to throw their influence in
favor of a Legislature and Governor that
will give to Baltimore city the Improved
glass ballot box and frst.class citizens as
Supervisors oil Elections.
For though it may seem repetition of
what has been said, the fact cannot be too
ferciby impressed that to countenance and
tolerate the disfranchisement of the best
elements Of society in the metropolis of the
State would be giving license to a malady
at the heart which would rapidly carry de.
cay TO the extremeties of the body
Under our criminal code we hold in store
summary punishment for improvldent spe-
clmens Of humanity whose minds, becloud.
ed by ignorance and superstition, are sus-
ceptible to all the baneful Influences of the
isms OF the age, and outside the pale of de.
cent society dare to relieve their hunger and
protect their bodies by petty thelts. How
much more then is it important that men
who, by tampering with aud defiling the
ballot box, are tapping the arteries through
which flows the life-blood of our Political
system, and others in high places of honor,
profit or trust dare to deal with the revenues
OF the State, drawn by direct taxation from
the telling masses Of the people as so much
stock in trade for political gamblers, sheuld
be promptly brought to rstributivs Justice
as perpetrators of high crimes and misde
s@6%ihSe thS 6OSa OiuCi vi oSClCty
and the honor, dignity and safety of the
State.
Very respectfully yours,
THos. WATERS, OF S.
Z. SIN connection with the above,
had thought of giving word of encourage,
ment TO the dissatisfied and dsaffscted ele-
ments in cur ranks, by holding up to 1t the
bright prospect of reform which seems to be
looming up in the distance; but Just now |
discover that your contemporary, the Adpo-
cate, prsnoances 1t a torlorn hope
And while among the greatest champions
OF free government England ever had upoa
the betrayal of that cause by Oliver Crom-
well and the re-estabishment of the moa-
archy in Charles H., Milton aud Locke were
driven into exile, obscur,y aud poverty, aud
Monmouth, Russell and Sidney lost their
lives
Your worthy contemporary thinks Mr..
keedy tao good man land by the way, q
most estmable gentIeman) to jeopardize q
probably brilliant political future by lead.
ing this tortorm hope of purifying the Demo-
cratic party by loosing tho iron grip of the
bosses, public teaches and detiers Of the bal
lot box. 1t can hardly be supposed that such
discourag gements from 50 influential source
will have the salutary effect of closing up
the ranks, which is very important on such
occasions as our last congressional struggle
in the Sixth District,
Yours respectfully r. W., of s.